Cleric urges Christians to imbibe virtues of forthrightness, truth

A cleric, Rev. Fr. Cyril Ozioko, has urged Christians to imbibe virtues of forthrightness and truth in order to build a community and neighbourhood of reconciliation and peace.

Ozioko gave the charge during a homily on Sunday at the  First Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving of newly ordained, Rev. Fr. Samuel Ali, held at the St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Umuopu in Enugu-Ezike community in Enugu State.

The mass featured Owelle Ejikeme Odumegwu Foundation (OEOF) donation and presentation of a brand new car to the newly ordained, Rev. Fr. Ali.

 

The OEOF Foundation also instituted a scholarship scheme for two fresh senior seminary students from Umuopu in Enugu-Ezike community and a monthly stipend of N100,000 for the parish priest of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Umuopu, Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Ugwu.

Ozioko, who spoke on the sidelines of the theme: “What About Your Own Faith”, said that the Christian faith is about the ministry of reconciliation and peaceful co-existence.

The cleric noted that a true child of God would not tear or scatter people apart but always help to pull people together

According to him, by being instrument of peace and reconciliation, it will be clear to the great witness of people around us that we are truly of Him and duly follow Jesus Christ footsteps.

“We must be peace builders as Christians and ensure we truly reconcile people around us, who live in hate and disagreement especially on temporal things or issues of this passing World,” he said.

The cleric also urged the faithful to continue in their prayers of faith as well as good work as they await a progressive and prosperous nation.

“With faith in God, everything is possible especially to him who truly believes.

“We must drop fear, negative perception and notion but face the future with positive faith that things must surely get well.

“When we trust God, we should do it whole-heartedly. As the Lord that called us unto righteousness and truth is always faithful on His own part,” he said.

For the newly ordained Rev. Fr. Ali, the cleric urged him to stand out in his priestly duties, work of charity and mercy towards everybody around him especially the Christian community.

“Remember, you have been consecrated for life; and you must focus on your ministry and reflect on it daily.

”You must be patient, listen to people, be humble, do not get greedy, and wait for God’s personal uplift,” he advised.

Responding, the newly ordained, Rev. Fr. Samuel Ali, thanked everyone that came for the thanksgiving as well as OEOF foundation for the donation of a brand new car to him and other donations to the Church.

Ali, who was consecrated from the Holy Ghost Fathers Order, said: “I am overwhelmed with you great show of love to me and my new ministry and I assure you that by God’s willing, your prayers and support; I continue to make you proud”.

Speaking, the Founder of Owelle Ejikeme Odumegwu Foundation (OEOF), Dr Ejikeme Odumegwu, said that his foundation was poised to assist the Church to achieve a holistic socio-cultural and religious transformation of the people.

 

Odumegwu, who is also the Owelle of Nsukka, said: “Before now, the foundation has renovated all the police stations in Enugu State and given numerous educational and skill empowerment scholarships to many youths in Enugu State.

“The foundation has off-set hospital bills of indigent sick patients in various hospitals and supported some churches building construction with thousands of bags of cement among others.”

Does Shiroro fallen soldiers’ blood matter?

Festus Adedayo

When death became ubiquitous and cheap as air, afflicting the young and the old in their scores, Yoruba of old said it had become three-for-a-penny. There was what they called iyo olo’kan (one-penny salt). Ookan was a penny and the least of the denominations of the money of the time. A mound of salt was sold for a penny. Death that harvested people in their prime, unannounced, they also likened to creepy, parasitic mistletoe – afomo. It is a leathery-leaved parasitic plant which grows on apple, oak, and other broadleaf trees in the forest and also sticks to trees, either of cocoa or kolanut. Farmers watch out for an afomo on their crash crops because, the moment a tree gets infested with it, it is on its way to barrenness. While the mistletoe has no root of its own, it bores roots inside the trunk of its host and starves the tree of nutrients. 

ANSDRC Celebrates One Year Anniversary, Honours Distinguished Members, Others

 

  By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu

Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ANSDRC) last Wednesday marked one year anniversary, the group during the celebration honoured and

recognized six Disability Sports medalists and also presented certification to about twelve members trained in Information and Communication Technologies.

Youth engagement: Group calls for establishment of high performance community sports centres

 

The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), a police advocacy and non-kinetic group, has urged government at all levels to establish high performance community sports centres.

The National Coordinator of POCACOV, CSP Ebere Amaraizu, made the call on Friday in Enugu while speaking with newsmen  on positive and futuristic way to engage youths gainfully for societal benefit.

Amaraizu noted that to achieve an effective youths’ engagement, there was urgent need for governments, stakeholders and multi-agencies to come up with high performance Community Sports Centers across in Nigerian to replace the outdated Games Villages.

“The establishment of high performance Community Sports Centres will afford those veritable platforms that encourage the giving back to the society philosophy through transfer of skills, knowledge and values to our young minds using the instrumentality of community sports.

“The move will thereby turn them (youths) into National and International Sports champions as well as a great socio economic benefit to the society as obtainable in other countries of the world.

“It will help to promote positive behaviours and creating a platform of life changing opportunities for our youths. The High performance Community Sports Centre will serve as spring board and athletes’ bank where they can be discovered, developed and harnessed.

 

 

“The Centre will also provide veritable opportunities for all athletes to imbibe Olympic educational values of excellence, respect and friendship as well as core values of sports such as fair-play, social justice, self discovery, and discipline among others,” he said.

 

 

According to him, sports remains a means of enhancing education, creation of employment opportunities, instrument for driving National Ideology, promotion of gender equality and promotion of social mobilization, harmony and national integration, strengthening of resilience among all.

 

 

Amaraizu, a certified Olympic Sports Administrator, called for effective sports policy that would encourage administration of sports by professionals and use of professional/qualified sports coaches to implement planned programme of action on sports development.

 

 

According to him, professional/qualified sports coaches and administrators should lead the sports sector rather than the usual all comers’ affairs and in order to achieve the desired goals.

 

 

“There should be effective coordination by the Athletes Development Centers of the National Institute For Sports (NIS) and active collaboration with Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Federal Ministry of Education (School Sports), community leaders, faith-based organizations and others.

“This will help in the effective mapping of these young minds who are energetic and showing signs of skills in various sporting events to be harnessed.

“It will also serve as a platform for alternative meaningful pathways to engagement and especially to those who are vulnerable and at risk of joining membership of Organized Criminal Groups (OCGS), unlawful societies for serious and organized crime,” he said.

SSDO Initiative builds knowledge, empowerment capacity of rural women in South-East states

 

The South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO) through its Sister Guardian Initiative (SGI) has built the knowledge and empowerment capacity of rural women in 19 communities within Anambra and Enugu States.

The 19 rural communities included: Omor and Igbakwu communities in Anambra State: and Adani, Awha-Imezi, Awha-Ndiagu, Eke, Ihenyi, Orokoro, Afa-Amofia, Afa-Amozalla, Ezi-Nze, Ibute-Nze, Akpakwume, Obinagu-Nike, Umuode, Onuogba-Nike, Aduachi, Amankpunato and Nkpokolo communities in Enugu State

ENSG tasks BHCPF fund managers on judicious use of fund to improve health service delivery

The Enugu State Government has tasked Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) managers on judicious and effective use of funds to improve health service delivery within the South-East.

Embrace sisterhood to enhance development in Igboland – Amb. Bianca Ojukwu urges

 

Iyom Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the wife of Late Igbo Leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has tasked Igbo women to embrace sisterhood and strengthen the ties of solidarity among each other.

“This will ensure we, Igbo women, will maximise the gains of developmental efforts in Igbo communities across the country,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu made this call at the Igbo Women’s Movement Worldwide (IWMW) Annual Assembly and Patron’s Gala.

Firm moves to unlock aviation services potentials to youths in Nigeria

 

An aviation firm, Skyville Integrated Solutions Limited, says it has concluded plans and modalities with various partners to unlock aviation services employment and entrepreneurship potential to youths in the country.

The Founder and CEO of the firm, Mr Wilson Ugwu, said this in a press briefing in Enugu on Tuesday while announcing the forthcoming one-day conference titled: "The Aviation Career Meet (Summit)".

Group tasks parents on proper parenting, good moral guidance for children

 

 The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), a police advocacy group, on Tuesday tasked parents on proper parenting and good moral guidance of children and youths.

“Good parenting is anchored on proper adult guidance and listening to children to find out their challenges and allowing them to grow from their mistakes rather than the usual enforcement of consequences,” National Coordinator of POCACOV, CSP Ebere Amaraizu, said.

IYD: POCACOV interfaces with youths, tasks youths on integrity

The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), a police advocacy group, has tasked youths on sticking to the ways of integrity which encourages doing right things always.

“Integrity is a vital value or character of life, which encourages youths to always do the right things, even when no one is watching them,” Comrade Chinedu Ugbam, the Chairman of the POCACOV, Enugu State Chapter, said on Sunday in Enugu.